Have you ever gone on an Instagram deleting binge where you spent an hour or two archiving old posts? I know I have, so there are tons of pics in my "Archive" gallery that were once part of my IG grid. Some of the photos are outdated, while others are posts that I'd rather keep private. Regardless, the Archive section of my Instagram is basically a time machine, and I feel so nostalgic every time I scroll through it. If you've also wiped your grid clean of old photos and wish to view them again, I'll tell you how to access archived Instagram posts. Once you learn how to find them, you'll use the feature a lot more.
The process is fairly simple. In order to access your archived content, simply go to your main Instagram profile. Once you're there, look for a tiny "clock" icon in the upper righthand corner of your screen. That's the Archive button, and it'll take you to your archived posts and Stories. In order to toggle between the two, hit the "Archive" drop-down menu and choose which library you want to view.
Now that you've gotten the complete lowdown, let's take it a little slower. The tiny "clock" icon (aka the Archive button) is located to the left of three additional icons at the top of your screen. Those icons are the Saved, Discover, and Options buttons.
Here's what the selection looks like:
Simple, right? After you click on the "clock" button, Instagram will take you to your archived content. (It sounds a lot more mysterious than it actually is, trust me.) Once you're there, you'll see the drop-down menu that says "Archive." Click on that, and you'll have two options to choose from: Stories and Posts.
If you're trying to find your archived posts, hit "Posts" (obviously). Once you do so, all of the photos you've archived will appear on the screen. The coolest part about the feature is that each post is still fully edited, and has all of the original "likes" from when you initially posted it. In other words, nothing about the post has changed (aside from the fact that it's now private).
If you're scrolling through your archived content and see a picture that you really like, you can always re-post it onto your Instagram grid. In order to do so, click on the picture. Then, go to the "..." icon in the upper righthand corner of your screen, and hit "Show on Profile." After hitting that option, your post will automatically be removed from your Archive gallery and posted onto your grid.
FYI: It won't be placed at the top of your profile. Instead, it'll be posted chronologically, depending on the original date you posted it. So, if your archived photo was originally posted on April 1, 2017, it'll go right back to that date on your grid when you post it again.
In order to find your archived Instagram Stories, follow the same exact process. However, instead of choosing "Posts" in the Archive drop-down menu, hit "Stories." When you do so, you'll be taken to a gallery of your saved Instagram Stories. Get ready to feel nostalgic when you scroll through all the moments you've documented on the app.